Aquarium Re-Sealing

[LFCBVB]

Hey guys been doing lots of research on resealing my tank and I've got some questions I feel like I haven't found an answer for.

Ive recently bought a rimless tank and the seals are in decent shape but I figure might as well replace them before setting it all up and jumping into a new setup. My question is should I reseal the meeting points of the glass? Like not just the corners and edges, but the parts where you would apply and squeeze them together. I feel like since those parts dont really have access to water that they would be safe but who knows.

Any tips are helpful!

 

[Mr. Wiggles]

Hey guys been doing lots of research on resealing my tank and I've got some questions I feel like I haven't found an answer for.

Ive recently bought a rimless tank and the seals are in decent shape but I figure might as well replace them before setting it all up and jumping into a new setup. My question is should I reseal the meeting points of the glass? Like not just the corners and edges, but the parts where you would apply and squeeze them together. I feel like since those parts dont really have access to water that they would be safe but who knows.

Any tips are helpful!

Hey, have you done a leak test? I’d be wary of resealing a tank if it doesn’t need it, just in case I messed up.
That said, I just resealed my 60 gallon cube 3.5 weeks ago and it’s still going strong. It did, however, have a frame, so I’m not sure if that changes the nature of the structural seals. I only redid the inner seals, and left the stuff between the glass panes untouched. There’s this strange debate out there as to whether the inner seals are cosmetic only or something more, except people aren’t really debating...some believe one thing, some another, and that’s where it ends lol. At any rate, if you’re confident in your ability to get off every last bit of silicone before resealing, and in your ability to get the panes perfectly aligned again, you could try it. Again, though, only if you think it’s necessary. How old is the tank? Any idea if it was stored in the cold at all?

 

[Reefer40b]

Only re seal the meeting point of the glass if your seeing excessive air bubbles, if not that tank is probably fine. The inner seals I always do on a used tank, make sure to use a lot of brand new razor blades and get ALL of the silicone off, this will take some time. Clean the seams really well before applying new.

 

[LFCBVB]

Hey, have you done a leak test? I’d be wary of resealing a tank if it doesn’t need it, just in case I messed up.
That said, I just resealed my 60 gallon cube 3.5 weeks ago and it’s still going strong. It did, however, have a frame, so I’m not sure if that changes the nature of the structural seals. I only redid the inner seals, and left the stuff between the glass panes untouched. There’s this strange debate out there as to whether the inner seals are cosmetic only or something more, except people aren’t really debating...some believe one thing, some another, and that’s where it ends lol. At any rate, if you’re confident in your ability to get off every last bit of silicone before resealing, and in your ability to get the panes perfectly aligned again, you could try it. Again, though, only if you think it’s necessary. How old is the tank? Any idea if it was stored in the cold at all?

The tank was never actually out of service, he upgraded recently so it was in use. I didnt ask how long its been around, but most of the stuff looks fairly new, its just incredibly dirty. Im already replacing the PVC and fittings for the intake overflow. The seals arent like coming off or pealing or anything, but Im not sure how worried I should be. If I did redo it, I wouldnt do the sealing of the touching portions, probably just the edges. Maybe Im being paranoid. The glass is very thick tempered glass.

 

[Mr. Wiggles]

The tank was never actually out of service, he upgraded recently so it was in use. I didnt ask how long its been around, but most of the stuff looks fairly new, its just incredibly dirty. Im already replacing the PVC and fittings for the intake overflow. The seals arent like coming off or pealing or anything, but Im not sure how worried I should be. If I did redo it, I wouldnt do the sealing of the touching portions, probably just the edges. Maybe Im being paranoid. The glass is very thick tempered glass.

Gotcha, is there a tag anywhere that says when it was assembled? Most tanks have one I believe. I think if it’s over a decade you may want to consider a reseal, but that also may not apply if it’s had water in it the whole time and the silicone hasn’t had the opportunity to dry out. I’d start by cleaning it and leak testing. As someone with anxiety I can say that resealing it would give me more room for doubt and worry than a leak test, even if I did the reseal correctly. You can also run your nail along the silicone to see if it lifts anywhere.

 

[LFCBVB]

Only re seal the meeting point of the glass if your seeing excessive air bubbles, if not that tank is probably fine. The inner seals I always do on a used tank, make sure to use a lot of brand new razor blades and get ALL of the silicone off, this will take some time. Clean the seams really well before applying new.

Thats what Im thinking. The tank and overflow were just kind of so dirty I was like Im not risking my fish or livestock.